When Hell Freezes Over
by Pyroclastic
Summary: AU Things take a dangerous turn for Tessa, aka Sage, and events changes her forever. Takes place during her time in the Hellfire club.
1. Dangerous Dancing

Dangerous Dancing

The yearly Hellfire club gala was the event everyone at society's top wanted to be at. Everyone that was important was there. This year it took place at one the clubs most powerful member's estate in Alaska. Outside it was dark, at the end of October the night came early, but the inside was showered with light. The sound would be rather overwhelming if you stepped in from the calm outside the mansion, it came from the music and a few hundreds of people mingling, small talking as well as plotting amongst each other. Higher ranking members of the Hellfire club tended to stick out, not only did they radiate power, but all of them wore clothing inspired by 18-th century fashion.

One of these persons was a woman in her late twenties that wore a dress with a corset like top, square neck, wide flowing sleeves and a lose skirt that rustled slightly as she moved. The sleeves and the skirt was made by a fabric that shifted between black and very dark red depending on how the light fell on it. The corset was simply black, which created a contrast to the rest of the dress. It was impossible to see that she carried a hidden gun strapped to her inner tight, a smaller one to her left bicep and a knife on her right one. She wore her hair pined up in art full twists and turns, even though some locks of her raven black hair already had escaped its pins. Her skin was pale, almost to the degree where it would look sickly and her body was thin, but muscular. She had piercing blue eyes that seamed to watch everything at once, her nose was straight, her cheekbones high, her lips were full and her facial shape sharp. It was a hard, but beautiful face, without any softness. She talked to various people, mostly politicians and successful businessmen. Yet they always seamed distant from her, or if it was she who was distant from them, it was hard to tell. In the form of Oliver Ryland, Elias Bogan approached her.

"Hello, miss Tessa." he greeted her. "Lovely evening, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, _Bogan_. It was most gracious of you to host the party here."

"Aaa, you found that out. I shouldn't be surprised that you would. Have you told Shaw yet?"

"No, this is something he doesn't need to know. If the position of Lord Imperial remains in shadow, he won't crave it."

"Now, why shouldn't he crave it? To be the ruler of rulers?"

"You know as well as I do that you will never let go of the position. If Shaw knew that he could climb higher and only you were in the way he would try to kill you."

"He would fail."

"Yes. You would have him killed or make him an other one of your puppets. Both scenarios would destroy my influences over the Lords Cardinals."

"Of course. You prefer to rule them from the outside. But you should know that a woman like yourself easily could take your own place with in the inner circle. You are as wealthy and powerful as any of them. I don't think that it would be so hard to get rid of Miss Frost and the position as White Bishop still isn't taken."

"For the place as White Bishop we have one with useful talents on probation. And can you see me as the _White_ Queen?"

"You're right. It doesn't really fit to have you on the white side. The black side on the other hand..."

"Selene is already tiring of the club. It's only a matter of time before she distract her self with something else."

"And then it would be time for you to make your move. Brilliant. Fore someone eternal Selene has a very short patient. I knew that someone like you would have your goal set high."

Tessa only smiled at him.

"Oh, I have completely forgotten to compliment you, 'cause you look wonderful tonight."

"Thank you. You don't look to bad your self."

Bogan chuckled. "Your dress is fabulous, but I can't help to think that the overall look lakes something."

"Really?"

He nodded, and then looked at her with half closed eyes.

"A necklace. You need a necklace. And I think that I have the perfect one."

"You might be right about that. A necklace would look good together with this outfit."

"This way my dear. I'll show it to you." Bogan placed an arm over Tessa's shoulder and they started to walk out from the ballroom.

"Just for the record I'm not anyone's 'dear' and I can walk without needing your support."

Once again Bogan chuckled. He found Tessa very amusing.

"Of course. You are one very independent woman, my dear Tessa." he said as he took away his arm.

~o~

It didn't take them long to reach the room where Bogan housed some of his more valuable objects. Besides the door he entered a code of seven numbers, Tessa memorized them all.

7346578

She also noticed the motion detectors locations in the corridor. Doing things like locating surveillances was just something she did out of reflex. As the door swung open it became more obvious that it wasn't a normal door, but a two decimeters thick steel door.

"Welcome to my little treasure chest."

Tessa followed him.

"Impressive."

The lights had flickered on as soon as Bogan had entered, to revile a grand room filled with various items in glass showcases. The objects varied between the most unimportant looking things to gaudy jewelry with to much gold and valuable stones. Tessa took it all in, from this room's high tech security to the fine coating of dust that covered everything. Bogan went directly to the showcase that stood almost farthest away from the entrance. Inside laid a necklace made of very old copper that the years had turned black and green. It looked very similar to tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, except it was attached to a thin chain which looked significantly newer compared to the tablet. There was even cuneiform script on it.

"Originally it was a tablet." Bogan said, confirming what Tessa had suspected. "It's Sumerian and almost 6000 years old. When it was found during the 16-th century it war tweaked into becoming a necklace. The story says that the writing described the object that must never be found again. That sixty tablets were made and spread across the world to warn, to ensure it wasn't forgotten and found by mistake."

"Interesting story. Have you had the tablet translated?"

"Yes it says that if this thing is found the world will shake and fall. That the lady of the northern skies hid it on the other side of the sunrise. My guess is that it was just a story, but it makes a beautiful necklace for a beautiful woman."

While he spoke he had turned of the cases security and taken out the tablet, now he fasten it around Tessa's neck.

"There you go."

"Thank you."

"Let's go to the party and show it off."

~o~

Most of the electrical lights had been turned of and replaced by lots and lots of candles. As result the room was darker, but had a completely different atmosphere created by the flickering lights and constantly moving shadows. It was now that the dancing began. A waltz was playing when Tessa returned, necklace laying heavy on her chest. She considered finding Shaw but decided against it. He would find her if he needed her advice. Instead she went to Jean-Luc LeBeau.

"I see you brought your sons."

Jean-Luc turned his head to look at Tessa instead of the dance floor.

"_Oui_, it's _temps_ t'ey learned 'bout t'is side of it. T'ey mig't know all 'bout our side, _mais_ _ta _side _est_just as deadly."

"You are right about that, perhaps this-" Tessa waved her hand towards all the people at the dance floor. "-can be even more dangerous at times. You can not trust anyone here either and the ones smiling at you are probably trying to stab you in the back at the same time."

"_Et Feu de l'Enfer est_ _le pire_."

"Correct."

The waltz ended and Jean-Luc's sons returned, one with his fiancée at his arm and the other one already looking for another young woman to dance with.

"Tessa, t'is be _mon garcons_."

"_Bonjour_."

"'enri _et_ _sa _fiancée Mercy."

"'ello." said Henri.

"_Et_ Remy."

The younger one bowed.

"_Bonjour mademoiselle_.Would you _veux_ _une_ dance _avec moi_?"

"That would be lovely."

Jean-Luc had a concerned and slightly puzzled look on his face as he watched Remy lead Tessa to the dance floor as the band tuned up another waltz. Tessa was a good contact to the club, perhaps a way in to it, but he wasn't sure he even wanted his any of his two sons in the club. A good power platform, but so was the thieves guilt. Tessa might belong in that world, but Remy didn't and he was close to entering it.

~o~

Remy was a good dancer and so was Tessa. She could be good at any thing she wanted. As they danced she took in every aspect of Remy and added it to his so called file inside her head. Slightly over 1, 80 high, muscular built, brown hair, specially made lenses to hide his red on black eyes. Able to charge objects with kinetic energy, making them explode, master thief, uses charged playing cards as bombs or projectiles, weapon of choice; boo-staff. Womanizer and planned for an arranged marriage with Belladonna Bordeaux.

"So, you're w'it 'ellfire."

"Yes."

"W'at's it like to be among the worlds most powerful people?"

"Not too different from your life, except you can only trust yourself."

"Everyone plotting against everyone. W'at a way of living. I'll always 'ave the guilt _et ma famille_."

"Surely there is power hungry people amongst your ranks."

"_Oui_, but t'ey're few. 'ere everyone is."

"If you want to get anywhere in the world you must be ambitious. Ambition and power huger often go hand in hand."

"Or _un _gives birth to the other."

Tessa nodded. "If you settle for a dead end job at Wall-Mart for example, you might have dreams of another life, but if you wait for life to change, instead of changing it yourself, odds are that you will not end up at this gala."

"'ow come you ended up w'it _le_ club?"

"How come you ended up with the LeBeaus? I will tell you what, the wish for a better life."

"T'ats _vrai_."

The dance ended son afterwards and both returned to Jean-Luc. When they reached him Tessa excused her self, saying that there was a meeting she had to attend. After she had left, Jean-Luc looked at his son.

"_Elle est une trés belle fille_." Remy said.

"_Une trés dangereux femme_." Jean-Luc corrected. "_Gardez vos mains dans elle_."

"_Peut-être._"Remy shrugged and then left to ask some woman that had caught his eye to dance.

~o~

It was easy for Tessa to find Sebastian Shaw. He was a large man that stood out in the room. He as well wore clothing similar to what had been popular for the higher classes during the 1700. His black hair wasn't as extravagant as it had been then, it was simply pulled back. The hair line had been retreating for some years, but he was still far from bald. He had whiskers and his face was hard with many lines from his 52 years of living. Beneath bushy eyebrow sat brown eyes. Even though he wasn't the best looking he was still rather attractive, women was drawn to his experience, but mostly it was his money. He was something of an economical genius and had made his fortune when he reached his twenties. From the very first time Shaw meet Tessa he had recognized her talent for what was a good deal and what wasn't. He had taken her under his wing and now she was his personal assistant, or more correctly, his adviser. She helped him with all business, on the wrong side of the law as well as on the right, and politics. Shortly put, the only one he trusted.

"It is time to go. The meeting is about to begin."

"Well, what's wrong with being fashionably late?"

"The sooner it begins, the sooner it is over."

"You're right as always. Let's get going then."

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Author's Note: And here is the first chapter. I'm very, _very_ sorry about my dreadful attempt at writing a French accent. I did it by replacing all H:es in their speech with ', since H isn't pronounced in the French languish. I wont translate every single word, I'm sure that you understand it anyways or at least can guess. Here comes what I think is in need of translation:

_Et Feu de l'Enfer est_ _le pire _=And Hellfire is the worst (Not entirely correct in the French translation, but I used an online translator to try to get it right. To heighten the odds I tried several, with different outcomes from every single one. This is what I decided to go with at the end.)

_garcons_ = boys

_veux _= want

_avec_ = with

_vrai_ = true

_Elle est une trés belle fille_ = She is one very beautiful girl

_Une trés dangereux femme _= One very dangerous woman

_Gardez vos mains dans elle _= Keep your hands off her (online translator again, so don't blame me if the French turned out wrong.)

_Peut-être_ = perhaps

If there is anything more that you don't understand you could always use Google translate or something similar. Hope that helps.

Let's hope that you will keep reading and find it enjoyable.


	2. Burning Fires

Burning Fires

This meeting was not as formal as most were. Usually they gathered around a big table where everyone sat at there respective place. The room Bogan had arranged for them was not so formal, it was a sitting room where several cozy armchairs and a couple of fluffy couches had been arranged in front of the fireplace. The other Lords Cardinals had already gathered.

Emma Frost, who held the position of Withe Queen, leaned against the fireplace and was illuminated by the flames beside her. She was a telepath with the ability to read minds, project thoughts, plant illusions in the minds of others and release her astral form.

The Withe King, Donald Pierce sat in one of the armchairs legs crossed. He was a cyborg with adamantium implants to grant him superhuman strength, reflexes and durability.

The man planned for Withe Bishop sat in the corner of one couch. His name was Jason Wyngarde, but he called himself Mastermind. He could create illusions that stretched from seemingly making him invisible or changing his appearance to creating illusionary realities. He had very good looks, but Tessa suspected that it was an illusion as well; some times she could glimpse a thin, hollow eyed man with the skin of his face hanging loosely underneath his looks.

Emmanuel DaCosta, Withe Rook, was also present. He was merely a successful human that had managed his way into the Inner Circle.

The Black Rook was Freidrich von Roehem, originally human, but after Selene had altered his bloodline she could activate a semi-lycanthropic state, in other words making him a werewolf.

Harry Leland was the Black Bishop and had the ability to increase the mass of objects or persons weighting them down with gravitational pressure.

The only one absent was the Black Queen, Selene. She was pretty much immortal and had some of the most incredible powers. She was the worlds most powerful sorceress and could use all kinds of magic. She also had the ability to drain life force from other people, keeping her young and beautiful for centuries and she was exceptionally cruel.

Sebastian Shaw held the title of Black King, the highest position in the council of chosen ones. He could absorb kinetic or electrical energy making him stronger, faster and immune to most physical injuries. The only thing was that there was a limit to how much he could absorb and if that limit was past he would go into a coma.

Those were the members of the Inner Circle, with there positions named after chess pieces. It was customary that only the Lords Cardinals were present at their meetings, but all rules must have an exception. Tessa was that exception. As Shaw's personal aide she was with him on every meeting. She had abilities of her own, known by only a few and they didn't know the full extent of them. Not even Shaw knew. The power that most were aware of was that her mind functioned rather similar to a computer, only faster, better and without any limitations to the storage capacity. She possessed minor telepathic abilities, like scan and manipulate minds. The special thing about her telepathy was that it was turned inwards instead of outwards and if she didn't concentrate hard on others minds it would automatically go into her own, protecting it from others. If she was to concentrate on turning her telepathy inwards her mind would become literately impenetrable. The power that she keep secret was that she was able to analyze a person's genes and "jump start" their potential abilities.

~o~

Shaw took a seat in one of the armchairs.

"Remind me what the reason for this meeting was again."

Emma sighted. "For the last time will you get it into your head that we have found a power matrix that would be of great use to us."

"Aaa, yes. That was it. Have you been able to identify this matrix?"

"It is Jean Gray, one of Charles Xavier's students."

"So, have Mastermind put her in an illusion that makes her loyal to us. Miss Frost I'm sure that you can connect him to this Jean."

"It's not as simple as that. The plan still needs tweaking to become perfect."

They continued planning long into the night and it was almost 2 am before they returned to their quarters. Quite a lot of progress had been made and the plan was close to be put into action, there had even been time for a game of cards between Shaw and Bogan.

Tessa was slightly torn between her options, unknowingly to any one but herself and Xavier she had been one of his students. Still being a bit loyal to him she considered contacting him and giving him a warning. The only thing that stopped her from lowering her mental protections and reach out was the feeling of someone constantly trying to get into her mind. The sensation had been there ever since she met Oliver Ryland for the first time. At times it had been weaker or even gone, but these days in Alaska it had been stronger than ever and she kept defenses at maximum. It was simply nothing she could do to help Xavier. He would have to deal with it himself.

~o~

She didn't sleep that night. There was no need. Her brain was far more active than normal brains, so she did not require as much sleep as others. Before retreating to her room she had returned the necklace to Bogan and spent part of the night translating the script. When she was younger she had read about cuneiform and now she recalled that. The more that she translated the more stunned she was. It described the story and very detailed where this object could be found to be destroyed. The place it spoke of sent chills down Tessa's back. It had an uncanny similarity to the very cave on the Hindu Kusch where she had rescued Xavier after his legs had been crushed. The description of the wall paintings and the nature was absolutely perfect. Tessa couldn't doubt that if this artifact existed she knew where it was.

Right before the dawn she went out into the cold and crisp air. Frost glittered on everything in the fading light from the moon. In the east the sky slowly turned pink as the sun rise. The air was cold and refreshing, slightly nibbling Tessa's cheeks that had turned rosy from the cold. For hours she stood there facing the McKenna Glacier taking in the breathtaking beauty of the nearly untouched land. The Hindu Kusch had been just as beautiful and cold during winter, but her memories from then were some of those she wished she could forget. Now she took the time to go over the memories that took place around the cave. Even the one with the robed soldiers… That had been escorted by _Shaw Industries_!

Why had Shaw Industries been in Afghanistan on the Hindu Kusch fifteen years ago?

Perhaps Shaw had found one of the tablets and nearly discovered the correct cave. Perhaps it was just a coincident. She hated perhapses and didn't believe in coincidences, there was a reason for everything. She would have to ask Shaw.

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Author's Note: An other chapter for you to read. Still hoping that it is so good that you will want to continue reading. Would be nice to get a review were you told me your opinions on my work. Check back in a week for the next chapter.


	3. Mountains of Memories

Mountains of Memories

The right opportunity didn't present it self until they where back in New York. Shaw was sitting in his office, located at the top of the building. It was a fabulous office with exclusive furniture and the far wall was one big window with a panorama view of Manhattan. He had just put down the phone after a long call and was rather pleased with himself. Without knocking Tessa stepped in. She closed the door and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"What was Shaw Industries doing on the Hindu Kusch fifteen years ago?"

At first Shaw didn't answer, but then he meet Tessa's penetrating eyes.

"I had them looking for an artifact that they didn't find."

"What artifact?" She demanded.

"It wasn't really so clear. The writing just said that it was powerful. Why do you ask?"

"If it exists I know where it is."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"How would you know that? How did you know that my company was present there at that time? Have you been going over the company's history?"

"A person can only answer one question a time. I went over everything involving Shaw Industries a long time ago, but then I did not lay any weight at the fact. It was not until recently that I came across a tablet describing the artifact and it's location that I realized that I had been there. After leaving the cave I meet a robed convoy escorted by Shaw Industries. You should know that you were very close to finding that cave."

"Now there was something I didn't know about you. Anything else I need to know?"

"You know everything that you need to."

"Good. When do you think that I should book the flight to Kabul?"

~o~

It was early in the morning when they stepped of the plane and into the city with most land mines in the world. Kabul was a city marked of war. Tessa had a sinking feeling in her stomach, her face even stonier than usually.

Outside the airport waited the car they had rented. The Landrover had clearly seen better days, but it still looked better than most of the cars driving on the street. Tessa placed herself in the driver's seat while Shaw collapsed in the passenger seat. He was suffering from a serious case of jetlag and fell asleep before they had left Kabul. The hours passed slowly as they drove over bad dirt roads.

Most of the time Shaw slept and Tessa battled with the part of her that wanted to turn back and get the hell out of this country, the part that wanted to be any were else. Memories had flooded her mind as soon as she stepped of the airplane. When she had driven past the stone rubles of what had been a hotel, it had taken all of her will power to not get sucked into one of her most traumatic memories. Tessa hadn't been able to push them away, but at least she remained aware of the present.

~o~

_It was a party for the rich people, for the important people. Politicians, businessmen and foreign diplomats like mum and dad. They were mingling, as they always did. Even though the country practically was at war the elite kept up the facade that everything was like it used to be._

_She sat on a armchair that was slightly to big for her. She was bored. They had already been there for hours and it didn't seem like the party would stop any time soon. Above came the familiar sound from bomb planes flying over the city. Something was wrong about them. They didn't sound like they used to, first faint, then stronger, explosions when the bombs hit other buildings and then fainter again. This time the roar kept getting loader. They was headed this way. No, they were above the hotel. Tessa jumped up from the chair and ran towards her parents. She knew what was going to happen. From then on she didn't forget anything._

~o~

Eventually they reached the site where the convoy had been ambushed. Tessa stopped the car and stepped out. She could see how everything had been fifteen years ago. The robbers, the soldiers and her thirteen years old self. The images of the past merged with the present.

"We walk from here." She started going up the mountain.

"Then let's get going." replied Shaw. He grabbed their rather large backpacks and followed her. Once he caught up to Tessa he threw her large pack into her arms.

"Carry your own bag."

Tessa smiled crookedly. "And here I thought someone would be a gentleman and carry a week woman's little bag."

Shaw laughed. "And I didn't think you had a humor!"

"I don't. Sometimes people just find me funny."

Shaw laughed even harder and he was still chuckling when they reached the cave opening.

~o~

Tessa got out her flashlight and so did Shaw. His body was tens knowing that inside that cave was something that would make him even more powerful. He was drawn to power as a moth was drawn to the light. Tessa felt uneasy when she saw that nothing had changed since she was there the last time.

"It's exactly as the tablet described it!" Shaw whispered in aw, looking at the wall paintings.

"I know." answered Tessa as she ventured past the pile of stone under which she had found Xavier. A narrow path went into the mountain.

They walked deeper and deeper down, getting closer to the mountains heart by every step. First walked Tessa, closely followed by Shaw for which it became harder and harder to walk the smaller the tunnel became. Luckily for him they emerged into a large chamber before it would have been impossible for him to squeeze any further. The walls and floors were covered in cuneiform script. In the center of the room was a platform and on the cave ceiling right above was its twin.

"Wow!" Shaw exclaimed.

Tessa touched the writing on the wall.

"Looks like we are going to be here for a while."

"Fine with me."

They started putting up the portable spotlights that they had brought in their packs, filling the chamber with light. Through the small passage they had been unable to have the bags on their backs so they had pushed the backpacks in front of them. Now Shaw passed his time unpacking them while Tessa translated. After a few hours he was extremely bored.

~o~

"What does it say?"

"It explains how it works and what it does. Its purpose was to be a bridge to a different reality, specifically to the Omniverse. Accordingly to these writings the Omniverse is the first reality from which all others can be manipulated. It is the place between all dimensions."

"I see why you find it interesting. From that place I could rule not only one world but all. Brings the term total world domination to a whole new level."

"I do not think that it would be you that ruled it. Apparently it is run by Roma, also called the lady of the northern skies, and her father."

"Let's go there anyway. Perhaps it's time that someone overthrew them."

"That would not be a great idea. If activated the machine causes all worlds to shake and eventually break the balance between different realities, destroying most, if not all worlds."

"We would just use it once. How much damage could be done?"

"A lot." Tessa stepped up on to the platform and stood face to face with Shaw. She was significant shorter but seamed just as powerful as him, if not more.

"We can not risk it."

"How do we activate it?" Shaw's voice was filled with a sense of iron.

"There is no record of that and if there were I doubt that I would tell you. We were meant for this world and no other."

A faint buzzing noise had started when Tessa stepped up to the platform and it had steadily increased to the point that it was impossible to ignore. Slowly they were surrounded by a shining light that grew brighter and brighter until everything started shaking.

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Author's Note: Yet an other chapter and things are starting to happen. Sorry for the one day late update, but my Internet was down yesterday. Hope you will continue reading and perhaps leave a review, feedback is always good.


	4. Between Worlds

Between worlds

To come to the Omniverse was unlike everything. There was an almost infinite number of each person, but when a person entered the Omniverse it was only about half the number of this person that came there. The rest would remain in there respective worlds due to different choices that had been made in some worlds.

~o~

They didn't appear every single one of them, but was squeezed into one body. The sensation was a unique one. To only have lived one life time, but have the memories from a million or more. That was what Tessa and Shaw experienced when they arrived in the Omniverse. Shaw doubled over clasping his head trying to grasp what had happened. Tessa simply frowned and started analyzing all the memories as the shaking slowed down and finally stopped.

"What the hell did you do?" gasped Shaw once he had gathered himself enough to speak.

"Nothing. My conclusion is that there must have been life sign detectors in the chamber that activated the transporter once all was between the platforms."

"So we're here and so is the world. No harm done."

"I would not be so sure. We know nothing about the longtime effect or how any other dimension has been affected. We can not even know that the Omniverse is supposed to be this way."

They were in a wasteland very similar to a desert of gray sand. The black sky held many, many stars which faint glimmer was the only light source. Well, almost the only source. There was a other one and it looked similar to a very large star, just above the horizon.

"If we're to find something here, I bet that it's over there." Shaw said pointing at the light.

~o~

Roma was worried. It had been ages since something like this had happened. Despite all her warnings, someone had activated the transporter. She wondered if it had been wrong to have the tablets made and if it had been better to just let if be forgotten. But then someone eventually would have found it and used it unintentionally.

Merlyn, her father, found it amusing that some new people had stumbled into the Omniverse, even though both of them struggled to hold the worlds together and prevent them from shattering.

They were so different and yet so alike, father and daughter, together running the universes. Now they would have to wait and see how events unfolded themselves. Roma hated when she couldn't manipulate the outcome. And not knowing who had come through bugged her.

~o~

Many hours had passed since the started walking and it didn't seam as if they made any progress at all. But slowly and then rapidly a city like complex grew bigger. It was bright and shining with a white light and it's lowest point hovered a few meters above the ground.

Below it stood a old man with long silver hair, dressed in white and gold.

"Welcome to the Omniverse. I am Merlyn and this-" He waved his hands at the large city above him. "-is the Crystal Palace."

"You mean that you are Merlin from King Arthur and the knights of the round table?" Shaw asked skeptically.

The old man nodded. "You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, but I am sure that we can find a way to send you back if that is what you want."

"Thank you." Tessa said.

"I think that we will stay for a while." Shaw stated and got a glare from Tessa.

"Well then, I'll show you to a couple of guest rooms. You must be tired after that walk. Or would you prefer a shared room?"

"Separate rooms." Both of them coursed."

"This way then."

~o~

"This will be your room Mr. Shaw." He opened the door reviling a magnificent chamber.

"Sweet. Wait a moment, how the heck did you know my name?"

"I know very much. If you need anything just go to the dining hall and there will be someone there to help you."

Shaw stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"So I guess that you have some telepathy and plucked the name from his mind." Tessa said to Merlyn as soon as Shaw was gone.

"Correct."

"What is my name?"

"Tessa Niles."

"You took that from Shaw's mind as well."

"Correct once again. Not even I can break through the protections on your mind. They are very impressive. Now your room is behind that door." He pointed to the door on the other side of the corridor from Shawn's.

"Thank you, but I am not tired. I would prefer if you would show me around and tell me about the Omniverse as well as the Crystal Palace."

"Of course, of course." Merlyn started walking with Tessa at his side.

"The Omniverse is the place between all worlds. From here all of them can bee watched over and manipulated. It is also much easier to travel to one dimension to a other and then get back here again. Usually the problem is to get here in the first place. For some, like me and my daughter it's not a problem, but the others have either been brought here, fallen through cracks in time or as you did, created your own crack. Those are rare, but it happens. The major problem about that way is that smaller cracks spread to other places, disturbing the balance in those worlds. Roma and I can prevent worlds from shattering, but it takes a loot of our power. There for most of those who has chosen to stay here is in the most damaged worlds, trying to fix the cracks. It is very important, for the state every dimension is in affects the Omniverse. If too many worlds are damaged, so will this place bee. The Crystal Palace, the very place we is in right now, is the built in the center of everything and will most likely bee the last place to fall, after everything around it is gone. If it would fall, we don't even know if it is possible that anything like that could happen. An other scenario is that the Crystal Palace would be a last oasis in a whole lot of nothingness. But as I said, that's just speculations."

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Authors Note: Here we go again. Hope you liked this chapter and that you will read the continuation next week.


	5. Past and Present

Past and present

They were in the lower parts of a medieval town, were the poorer of the common people lived. Life was going on every hour of the day and night. There was always something that happened, robberies, brawls and such. During the evening most people was about, drinking, eating, playing dice or placing bets. It was a dangerous place, some would do anything for the smallest bit of coin. Beggars and street rats was everywhere.

~o~

Dressed in time appropriate like clothing, Tessa and Shaw appeared in a dark alley. Tessa had refused to wear a dress, even if breaches would make her stand out more. It was worth more to be able to move in a combat situation than to be ultra stealthy. Roma had sent them there to fix one of the larger cracks. In this world the balance had fluctuated for a long time, but it wasn't until now that it was completely out of hand.

~o~

"That was a original sensation." Shaw told Tessa, commenting the travel from one world to a other.

"I guess that one will get used to it." She started walking through the narrow back alleys.

"Yeah, right. How were we supposed to get back?"

"When the balance has been restored we will be returned." With one finger Tessa taped the watch like thing on her left wrist. "That is what this little thing is supposed to do."

"Oh, I was just starting to wonder why I was wearing one of, what ever these are."

"How did you get so successful if you are so bad at listening?"

Shaw shrugged. "I guess I'm lucky. Besides, she wasn't talking about money. When it's about money I pay attention."

Shaking her head Tessa sighted. "Some people are just incorrigible."

"And we are some of those people."

"You think?"

"I don't think so, I know so."

Both grinned.

~o~

When they got out on a torch lit square a old beggar woman grabbed Tessa's ankle. The woman had bony hands, but her fingers was strong.

"Ye don't belong here. I can see that." Her speak was slurry and when she opened her mouth Tessa saw that she had lost most of her teeth. "'haps others can't, but I can. Ye have get out of this place while ye can."

"Why do we have to get out of here?" asked Tessa patiently, but her voice had a determined tone.

The woman's eyes flickering over the surroundings fast like fireflies. She let go of Tessa, pulled up her legs against her chest and hugged them with both arms.

"Just get out of dis place."

"Come on Tessa, the woman is clearly crazy." Shaw said, trying to get Tessa to move. She ignored him.

"Do you know what's disturbing the balance?" Tessa crunched down to get her face almost level with the beggar's.

"Dere is no balance down here. Ye don't know dat?"

"Why is there no balance?"

"'cause..." Her face became even more haunted.

"Because?"

The ragged woman put her head on the side looking at Tessa. An other train of thought had crossed her mind. She squinted her eyes.

"Ye speak lik' a noble."

Shaw barely held back a laugher attack, but a few bits of chuckle still escaped him and caused Tessa to give him an stony glare.

"Shaw, get a hold of yourself." She turned back to the beggar.

"Tell me about the balance." It wasn't as much of a request as it was an order.

"Why would I tell ye 'bout da balance?"

"So that I can fix it."

The woman leaned in closer to Tessa and whispered. "It's the magic."

"What about the magic?" She was losing her patient, but didn't show it.

"Sshh, not so loud." She looked around again before she continued. "Everybody knows about the magic, but ye don't. Ye're not from here. Magic keeps land together, protects everything. Magic's important, magic's ruled by the Temple of the All Knowing." The woman's speak had become clearer and she didn't talk so much in slang. "What the people do not know, magic almost spent. Magic don't hold the land together any more. Magic disturbs balance. Magic not needed. Drain mages so it will keep working. No one knows. No one's telling. If told they lose power over people. They drain mages to keep the magic working. Everyone feels the magic. Always there. If gone everyone know. Panic. Uproar. Temple of the all knowing. All knowing. Temple of the all knowing." She started rocking back and forth mumbling. "All knowing. Temple of the all knowing. All knowing…"

Tessa stood. "I don't think that we are going to get any more information from her."

"At least we learned something. We know what we need to correct." Shaw answered her.

"The magic."

Shaw nodded. "My qualified guess is hat we fins it's source in the Temple of the All Knowing."

"Then let's see if we can find it."

The beggar seamed to wake up from a trance. She looked at Tessa and Shaw with out recognizing them.

"Do ye 'ave a extra coin to spare for a old woman?"

~o~

They walked across the square and on to one of the larger streets.

"Do you know where this temple is?" Shaw asked.

"Not really, but I think that it would be in the richer part of town. To get there you just follow the largest roads."

"The beggar said that everyone felt the magic. Do you feel it, 'cause I don't."

"It is there. You just aren't paying attention to it. Try to feel it. What is different from how it usually is?"

Shaw tried to do as she said, without success. After a few minutes he gave up.

"Not working."

"Try to not to concentrate. Let all thoughts escape your mind."

"It's impossible not to think."

"I didn't say that you wasn't supposed to think. Just don't grab your thoughts. Let them pas and don't hold on to any of them."

"Fine, I'll try."

~o~

It wasn't until the houses lining the streets had gotten way fancier that Shaw got it. At last he felt a tension in the air and the sensation of something that pressed over his lungs.

"I got it!"

"Very good."

After a little time of walking the feeling had grown slightly stronger.

"You didn't guess the way we were supposed to go. You followed this all the time!" Shaw exclaimer.

"Finally you are being a bit clever. I almost thought that jumping between realities had mad you stupid."

"Hey, bee nice to me. I'm the one who signs your pay check."

"And I could make more money by playing the stock market."

"Are you calling me cheep?"

"I didn't say so."

"I bet you thought it really loud."

"Here we are."

They had stopped in front of church like building. The design was similar to a cathedral, but it had a few differences. Shaw didn't notice them, but Tessa did. The temple of the all knowing lacked all the statues, ornaments, gargoyles and similar things that usually were on large cathedrals. The exterior was just made of smooth gray stones and the glass windows was plain.

"It's a cathedral."

"It's the Temple of the All Knowing." Tessa corrected.

"Whatever." Shaw walked up the steps to the gate and felt on the door. "Locked."

"No problem at all." Tessa went up and when she was next to him she brought out her look picks. Holding them up in front of Shaw's face she said "I have the keys."

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Author's Note: One day late, I know. Just didn't have any time yesterday. Hope you don't mind. I would also want to give a big THANKS to **xxxroxyxxx** for leaving the first review. Made me so happy.


	6. Magic

Magic

With a faint click the door's lock mechanism opened.

"There you go, a it's open." Tessa told Shaw.

"Thank you." He opened the door and held it up. "Ladies first."

"Especially when the men don't now what's on the other side."

"Absolutely."

Tessa entered to a big empty hall, closely followed by Shaw. The air was thick with magic, making it hard to breath. The hall was big and very empty, their steps echoed between the walls.

"There is nothing here." Shaw said. "Nothing but this freaky magic."

"Perhaps not in this room. You can feel the magic, we are close to it's source."

"So we are going to keep following it and see were it brings us?"

"Precisely."

"Oh, great. I don't like it."

"You are going to have to deal with it even if you don't like it."

"I hate it when you're right."

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "I'm always right."

"When you aren't wrong."

Rolling her eyes Tessa walked to the right. Shaw hadn't noticed the stair that was going down into the ground, but he was far from surprised that Tessa had.

"Are we going down there?"

"Seems that way. Grab a torch from the outside."

~o~

The only good the torch did was to light up the uneven steps in the stair, but there was really nothing else to see. The stair continued to go down into air that wasn't just thick with years of dust, but with magic as well. If the magic had pressed on their lungs earlier, it was nothing like now. The air almost felt like a liquid, slowly running down to their lungs and making it hard to breath. Tessa and Shaw walked down without speaking, they had to focus on getting enough oxygen as the stair brought them farther and farther down.

When Shaw was about to knock on Tessa's shoulder and get her to turn back, they finally reached the bottom. They was standing in front of a closed door. It didn't have a lock, so there was no way Tessa could pick it. She tried to open it, pushing inwards, but it stayed shut. Most likely it was bared from the inside. Tessa shook her head. She wasn't going to be able to get it open. A simple hand wave at the door signaled to Shaw that it was his turn to try. A wicked smile spread over his face. It had been a long time since he had done some thing like this. Using part of the power he had stored up, he kicked the door and down it went.

~o~

Magic slamed into them like a sledgehammer. The power was so overwhelming that they almost was knocked back. After a few moments of recovery they focused on the small room behind the fallen door. In there five people in plain robes sat in tailors seat, each with a glass globe between their hands. In the heart of the otherwise clear globes sparkled a black and deep purple center. Above the circle of mages was a large sphere, that had a surface similar to a sun's. Like the globes hearts the sphere was black and purple, always shifting and moving. At times it sent out flares and when that occurred Shaw and Tessa felt a wave of stronger magic rolling over them.

~o~

Analysing the scene before her Tessa became sure that it was the globes that connected the mages to the sphere. She also realized how obvious it was that the sphere was failing, despite all the magic it sent out. Her intuition gave her the feeling that it wasn't supposed to use up so much magic as it did. It was due to the rapid consumption of magic that it was failing. That it was leaking and they hadn't found a way to stop it, so it constantly had to be feed with new power.

~o~

Tessa took a grip on the globe held by on of the mages. She ripped it from his hands and smashed it against the floor. It shattered and the sphere flared when the globes center rejoined it. The mage who had held it fell back, unconscious. Shaw followed Tessa's example and took the globe from one of the women.

"What do you think that you are doing?" A man dressed in a ornamented robe stood in the doorway. It didn't seem like he notice the magic's pressure. He raised his hands and a shockwave sent Tessa flying into the wall on the other side of the room. Shaw didn't even twitch, the attack hadn't affected him like it had Tessa. His mutant ability had simply absorbed the force. The man frowned, unable to understand why Shaw wasn't affected.

"I am the guardian of the All Knowing's Power. This is no place for you!"

"We are simply doing what we was sent to do." Shaw pressed the words over his lips. It was hard to speak, but it was plausible.

"Who sent you? Who is it that want to destroy us?"

Tessa struggled to get to her feet.

"We have no intentions of destroying you." She said as she used the wall to support her.

"Then why break the links to the Power? It's what's holding us together."

"How ignorant you are." Tessa said, finally fully balanced. She walked a few steps closer to Shaw and the guardian. When she grabbed an other globe panic spread over the man's face.

"You don't dare. You don't know the consequences of you actions." His voice was still controlled, but a tone of fear had started crawling into it.

"Oh, really?" Tessa dropped the globe. When it touched the floor it shattered with the same result as when the first one was destroyed. She took yet an other globe from it's mage, holding it up before her. The fragile glass rested on Tessa's fingertips.

A muscle twitched under the guardians right eye.

"No you won't."

"Yes I will."

The guardian sent out a second shockwave. Even though it wasn't as strong as the first, Tessa hit the wall again. She groaned from the pain that shot through her back, but she wasn't the only thing that had stricken the wall. The globe had been thrown backwards as well and the hard impact had broken it. A drop of blood trickled out of a shallow wound on Tessa's cheek. It had been caused by a chard of flying glass.

"That's it. I have had it with you." Shaw squesed the globe in his hand. It took barely any of his strength to break it. The flare from the sphere was larger than the previous ones, sending out more of it's magic. Only one globe remained, feeding the sphere with the mage's power.

"I won't let you destroy it."

"You can't stop me." Shaw told him very calmly. The other man was slowly walking sideways, trying to approach the last globe. When Shaw wasn't standing between him and it, he ran towards it. Shaw stretched out a leg, making the guardian fall face first to the floor. He tried to grab a hold of the globe, his fingers was touching it. The orb lay loosely in the mage's hands and the man's desperate attempt to take it, made the globe roll down to the floor. To the guardians horror it rolled towards Shaw, who stopped it with his foot.

"No... Please don't..."

Shaw pressed down his foot, shattering the last globe. The sphere exploded, blinding them. And then they were back in the Omniverse.

____________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: So here's an other chapter I hope you enjoyed reeding, 'cause I sure liked writing it. Even if I was a bit mean to Tessa, slamming her into a stone wall, twice. But keep reading when I update next week and perhaps leave a review were you tell me what you think.


	7. Survival

Survival

_Roma was standing outside the light of the Crystal Palace looking at the sky and star up there, each and everyone representing a reality. Merlyn walked up from behind and put a hand on his daughter's shoulder._

"_It's so many of them." Her voice was strong and clear._

"_I know."_

"_Sometimes I can feel the weight of the worlds on my shoulders. In a way we are responsible for all of those worlds. To keep them whole and balanced."_

"_It is not the only thing we do."_

"_No, it's not. We manipulate them to serve our purpose. And then I doubt what we're trying to achieve."_

"_You shouldn't doubt. I have everything under control."_

"_The new arrives. You even control them? I know that I could control the man, but the woman..."_

"_She truly is an enigma."_

_Roma nodded. "I think that she has the potential to be all knowing. The all knowing."_

"_It is possible. But right now this is not the place for them to be. They may not be a threat to my goals, but you have became a liability. Your purpose is spent." He lifted his right hand in which a sword lay. "I am truly sorry Roma, but this is the way things must be."_

~o~

Roma stumbled out on the balcony where Tessa was looking out over the Omniverse. She was bleeding heavily from a large stab wound that had pierced her body. It was a miracle that the woman still was alive. The sound of someone approaching had made Tessa turn around and the sight of Roma, who by any human standards were to be considered a goddess, fatally hurt cased a rare show of shock on the normally cold womans face.

Roma's bloody fingers took a tight grip around Tessa's face and held it with strength that seamed super human. Both women's eyes began to glow with Roma's power.

"My knowledge must not be lost." She hasped out before they collapsed in a heap.

~o~

Dr. Brown, known as Mike to most people was standing outside his lodging in the outskirts of McMurdo Station, Antarctica. He was having a smoke, a bad habit, but the times he had tried to quit it he always had failed and in Antarctica he appreciated the semi warmth it gave him. He was at the biggest of America's research centers on this frozen continent, heck, it was the biggest "city" on the godforsaken place. McMurdo housed around a 1000 people in the so called summer and fewer than 200 during the winter. Mike was a climatologist and he was damn lucky that he only had to stay there during a couple of months.

Now it was in the middle of the summer, the temperature averag**e** lay a few degrees below freezing in January. After the winter when the sun never rose above the horizon, summer was very different. The sun never went down. Extreme conditions had never been something Mike liked. For him it was the return home that he longed for the most. Just two more weeks.

Mike was in his late fifties, his hair had turned withe early, but at least it wasn't thinning to much. Once he had been married, now he wasn't. They had thought that they could deal with his long absences but in the end Marissa had broken up with him. They had a son and after Marissa's remarried she had gotten two more. All of them was adults, except her youngest one that still was in high school. They knew Mike well and saw him almost as a uncle. He had liked that. He liked most things, cold and snow being part of the few things he didn't like. Grandkids was something he very much wanted even if it probably would take a few more years.

He had a sunny nature that also made him very hard to shock, but when he saw made him gasp and drop his cigarette. Towards him walked a large man that carried a smaller figure. Both appeared to be smeared in blood.

"Help..."

Mike could barely hear the man's voice, it was hoarse and sounded as if he had very little energy left.

"Help us..."

It was first then that Mike reacted for real. He ran up to them. When he came closer he saw that neither of them was dressed for Antarctica, both wearing summer clothing.

"You have to get into the warmth. You could freeze to death. Come on, let's get you inside." Mike leaded them to the cabin where he lived, it was the closest one.

"Wait in here, I'll be back with some med personal." Mick walked out the door and started running towards the infirmary as soon as it had closed behind him.

~o~

The medical attention available at McMurdo was not the best. It was equipped mostly for the basics, broken bones, sprains, not to serious wounds, minor heart problems and for the medication, both prescribed and not. And for hypothermia. Crises was thankfully rare and something similar to this had never happened.

When the medics arrived to the cabin the personal didn't really know what to expect, but they prepared for the worst.

In there the man sat on a chair and the woman he had carried lay on the bed. There was blood on both, but it was most on the woman. The strange thing was that it didn't seam like they had any kind of physical injury. The man clearly had hypothermia. He was shivering and pale. Perhaps in stage two, Dr Janet Frasier observed. The woman on the other hand was dead pale, her lips blue and she was unconscious. Her hand was held by the man and he kept talking to her.

"Don't die on me now. Don't you dare die. Come on Tessa. Don't die."

They moved right in with the standard procedure for treating hypothermia patients. After checking the girls pulse they connected an I-V filled with slightly warmed liquid to her arm. She was still alive, but barely. The doctor in charge, Janet Frasier, was afraid that she had passed the line where it would be possible to save her. They didn't dare moving them to the infirmary yet, moving them would mean exposing them to the cold of Antarctica once again. An other I-V was put into the man's arm. He was obliging and didn't work against them, something Frasier was thankful for.

There wasn't so much more that could be done for them, only time would tell if the woman would make it. That was one of the things Frasier hated about being a doctor. To have done everything there was to do in means of trying to save a patient and still not knowing. The wait was nerve wreaking. She seated her self on one of the other chairs and looked at the man. He meet her eyes.

"Will she survive?"

"At this point I don't know. We have done everything possible to do that would not endanger her more."

"Why no heated blankets? You gave me one."

"If she is warmed up to quickly she could suffer from arrhythmias, irregular heartbeat, which could kill her."

"Tessa will make it. She's tough."

"Tessa, that her name?"

"Yes."

"I'm Janet Frasier. Could you tell me who you are?"

"Sebastian Shaw."

"Do you know where you are?"

"No..."

"You are at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. You are sure that you don't have any memories of how you got here?"

"Antarctica? How the hell did I get here?"

"We don't know. I were hoping that you could tell us." Frasier said patiently.

"I really don't know. The last thing I remember before being here is Tessa entering my office."

"Tell me about her. About Tessa. Is she your daughter?"

"No, but I wish she were. In a way I've been a better father to her than I have been to my own son."

"How did you meet?"

"Some high school students had a field trip and was visiting my company. They got to meet me and I wanted to see if any of them could have a future working for me. I asked them about some things on the stock market. Most just stood there looking like question marks, but she answered. And nailed it. Even better than my employees. I asked if she would wanted a job there after she graduated and she did. When she started working I mentored her and it didn't take long before she was my personal aide. Not the kind that brings coffee and such, but the kind that helps me with decisions, one that I truly can trust. More than one time she have saved me from making bad choices. She usually knows everything."

"Does she have a last name?"

"Niles. Tessa Niles."

"And you are Sebastian Shaw. The billionaire?"

"Yes. And is this some kind of interrogation?"

"Not really. But to know as much about you can only benefit us."

"Shouldn't you check on Tessa to see if she is getting better?"

"I probably should." The conversation was over. Frasier knew that she had been dismissed.

~o~

When the morning came Shaw had recovered and Tessa had gotten some more color to her skin. During the night Frasier had executed lavage on her with some successes, although she still had to retain consciousness. They where moved to the infirmary for observation. Once again Frasier wished that she had some more advanced equipment. If she had that she could have run a full diagnostic on Tessa, she was afraid that the girl was in a coma. Even if that was the case or not she needed to come to a real hospital. So when the next flight left McMurdo both Shaw and Tessa was on it.

~o~

At the Christchurch Hospital in the city with the same name, located on New Zealand a nurse stopped Dr William Lee.

"We've got a patient coming in from McMurdo Station."

The doctor raised an eyebrow, it was rare to get patients from McMurdo.

"What do we know this far?"

"Female, late twenties, recovered from severe hypothermia, unconscious and non responsive. Probably in coma, but has no problem breathing on her own."

"Okey, when is she coming in?"

"The plane is landing with in fifteen minutes and there will be an ambulance there to meet up. We need to be standing by to take care of her when she arrives."

~o~

Tessa continued to baffle all the doctors that came in contact with her. There was no explanation to why she was in a coma and when they measure her brain activity they were all shocked. They were expecting the EEG to show a frequency somewhere between eight to twelve Hz, which is what most coma patients have, but the readings they got from Tessa were not like anything they had ever seen before.

Her brain activity was thorough the roof, far higher than the EEG of a normal person. Her results were sent to the American EEG Association in hops of them having some answers. They had none. The only thing that they could do was to wait and see if Tessa would eventually wake up.

After a week of constantly watching over Tessa, Shaw went back to New York. He had put the business on hold for far to long.

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Author's Note: So here is the latest chapter of my little story, a chapter I ending with a cliffhanger. Next week you will be able to read the continuation, if it contains any answers you will get to see then. Aaa, the suspense. Pleas leave a review so I get to know what you think. And my description of the McMurdo Station is most likely not so accurate, I took a few libertys when describing it. But I'm pretty sure I got the climate right. Dr Janet Fraiser is borrowed from the Sci-Fi series Stargate SG:1, so she ain't mine.


	8. High Heels

High Heels

A nurse was doing her round when she was startled by a voice she didn't recognize.

"Where am I?"

The nurse turned around and looked at the bed were it had seamed to come from. It was the bed where the coma patient lay. She went to take a closer look and was slightly shocked when she saw that the woman's piecing blue eyes were wide open and alert.

"I'm going to get the doctor." the nurse answered her question.

"That's not what I asked. Tell me, where am I?" The woman's voice was stern and demanding.

"I'm going to get Dr Lee. He will be with you in a moment."

Tessa held the nurse's eyes with her own. The other woman's thoughts flooded her mind. Her problems, wants, memories and the answer Tessa wanted. She tried to pull herself back into herself, but she couldn't. All the woman's meaningless thoughts filled her mind and refused to leave. Some of the other patients thoughts joined in. Their fears and their pain. A deep frown formed on Tessa's face as she turned her entire focus inwards. At last it was only her own thoughts she could hear.

~o~

"How do you feel?" Dr Lee was talking to her while he did an exam.

"Headache. How did I get here?" Tessa preferred to ask him instead of getting the answer herself from his mind. She didn't want to risk losing her control over her telepathy again.

"You were flown in from Antarctica after having severe hypothermia. You didn't wake up and Dr Frasier feared that you were in a coma."

"How did it go for Shaw?"

"He also suffered hypothermia, not as bad as you though. He has made a full recovery and went back to USA about two weeks ago. He is being notified that you have awakened."

"Two weeks. And how long has I been here?"

"A little more than three weeks."

"Thank you. Would you hurry up with the examination so that I may leave."

"It would be good if you stayed for observation. You just came out of a coma, and we got some strange EEG readings from you."

"I can assure you that I am absolutely fine and will not require any more medical attention than perhaps an aspirin for my headache that most likely will be gone with in 24 hours."

Even laying in a hospital bed she had the air of someone that was used to be obeyed and didn't accept anything less than full obedience. That was one thing that really impressed Lee. There was so much he wanted to know, but he accepted what he had to say.

"If you're lucky you will be free to go by the morning."

~o~

Shaw meet Tessa at JFK. He was thrilled to see that she had returned so soon. His normally professional behavior was replaced with the behavior of a kid that just had found his runaway cat.

"Tessa, I'm glad that you're back! How do you feel?"

"I am fine."

"That's good, we have a company to get in order again. You wouldn't believe how much that won't get done when we're missing."

"I am capable to believe most things as long as they are based on facts and not speculations."

"Everything has to be correct. Everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be precise. You live for perfection. The world isn't perfect."

"I know that better than anyone."

"Of course you do. You know everything."

"Eventually, I well may. At the moment, though, hardly."

"Should we get back to work, or do you need a few more days of rest?"

"I have rested for three weeks. You think I need more rest?"

"No, then it's back to work. We will be buried under all the paperwork that has built up."

"We will manage. As always."

~o~

The heels of Tessa's shoes clicked against the hard stones of the stair up to her apartment. She could have taken the elevator, but she still needed the exercise. Even a few weeks in a coma caused lose of muscle mass.

When she entered her loft she could sense that something was wrong. It was intuition, but she was not the one to ignore it. She took out her handgun, one of the weapons she always carried on her persona. She started doing a silent sweep of the apartment, walking carefully so that the heels wouldn't make so much sound. They still made a little and Tessa did a mental note to wear shoes that didn't make any sounds in the future.

Inside the bedroom was a fold door to the closet that covered most of one wall. If someone would have hidden in the bedroom, it was the most likely place to hide. Tessa opened it at one side to check if there was anyone behind there. At the same time as she did that the door was slammed open on the other side and a cloth that smelled heavily of chloroform was pressed over her mouth and nose.

She kicked back hitting her attacker on the small of his leg. Tessa clawed at his hand trying to get it away from her face at the same time as she slammed her own head into his. There was a crack when his nose broke. The chloroform was taking effect making Tessa dizzy. She tried to turn around so that she could get in a shot, but fell instead. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was a mans face with black tears running down his cheeks.

~o~

Slowly Tessa opened her eyes and lifted her head. She was chained to a chair and above her stood Bogan.

"Hello my dear Tessa."

She didn't answer, but pulled in her chains to see if there was any possibilities to escape.

"Oh no Tessa. There is no chance for you to escape."

"Why have you done this?"

"You are a smart girl. I'm sure you already have figured it out. But I'll tell you anyways. The villain always has to gloat and reveal his motives. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a story. Would it?"

He started to circle her. A predator studying his pray.

"I know who's fault it was that I lost the wager. I could have won my self a telepath, but you helped Shaw to win. I _never_ lose! I have given him a offer. You or his fortune. Guess what he will chose."

Bogan leaned in closer to her face.

"After all, he can always find someone to replace you."

He straitened and continued to walk around her, still talking.

"To be honest. You fascinate me. How you have been able to resist falling under my control. But you will lose. You will become one of my pets, Tessa."

He stopped behind her. "My dear Tessa."

Then he grabbed her face and pulled his thumbs from the middle of her eyes down her cheeks, leaving a black mark similar to the way the black tears had run down the mans face. Pain burned along the marks, pain that was nearly unbearable. Tessa wanted to scream, but clenched her teeth together hard so that she wouldn't. She would not let him have the satisfaction of hearing that.

"I'll be back later. I have some other business to anted to."

~o~

Her her head was hanging down and the still thudding black marks was hidden underneath the dark curtain of her hair. Before she got here it had been in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She couldn't remember when it had come undone. Most likely while she was unconscious, otherwise she would have known.

She had to find a way out this. She would not be anyones slave. Lock picks. She could pick the lock. A smile spread over her face. There was a way out of this mess. Bogan had not taken all scenarios in consideration, the chains was long enough for her to reach the left back pocket on her black jeans. Her weapons where gone, but who ever had searched her had missed her picks.

It wasn't a hard lock to pick, even though not being able to see it made it slightly harder. With the right hand she picked the left lock and after a few minutes that seamed year long it clicked open, freeing the left hand. The chain was still attached to her right wrist, but her hands was no longer stuck behind her back. Freeing the other hand took even less time. Instead of leaving the chain Tessa took it with her, if she would have to fight her way out it would work as a weapon.

As she walked towards the stair her steps echoed through the cellar. Once again she cursed the damed shoes that could give her away. For a moment Tessa stopped and took of the shoes. She would need to be quiet, making sounds would only make her chances of getting out smaller. Things had gone way to easy, she was not about to push her luck.

Tessa tiptoed up the stair soundlessly. At it's top was the door out. It was probably locked, but when she tried it it opened with a little creek. Tessa raised her eyebrows. Bogan clearly was very overconfident and had gotten sloppy. Really sloppy. She slipped out the door and fond herself to be in an empty warehouse. No one seamed to bee there, so Tessa ran to the closest exit. She dropped the chain on the floor before going outside, it would have attracted attention. Outside it was morning and in the rush everyone had to get to work Tessa wasn't noticed.

~o~

Shaw's elbows rested on his desk and in his hands was his face. He had no idea what to do. It wasn't like he was about to pay. During his life he had built his fortune, it was his, he deserved it. Never again he would be poor, but he couldn't just leave Tessa...

She had done so much for him and helped him earn more money than ever before. She had been his student and he had taught her everything he knew. Not only had he father feelings for her, but she knew as much, perhaps even more, about his company as he did himself. That knowledge like that was out there was dangerous.

What was he going to do? Shaw's thinking was interrupted when the door opened. He looked up to see who had come, ready to snap at them that he had specifically asked not to be disturbed. When he saw who was there it probably was the biggest shock of his lifetime.

In the doorway stood Tessa. She was a mess, clothes wrinkled, no shoes, undone hair and her face...

Her face was marked with two black lines.

"Tessa?!" Shaw could not believe it. She was standing right in front of him.

"I escaped. He was sloppy. No guards. Did not notice my lock picks. Left all the doors unlocked. Really, really sloppy and overconfident."

Shaw got up and hugged her hard.

"I'm so glad your back. I couldn't think of what to do. I couldn't give up my money, I couldn't abandon you and I had no clue of where he kept you so that I could come and rescue you."

Her telepathy was slipping. She could feel it and all of her attempts to take a firm hold on it was useless.

"I never needed any rescue."

"No you didn't. You're a capable woman. You can take care of yourself."

"Yes."

"You ain't safe here any more."

"As you said, I can take care of my self."

His thoughts was so loud. She had become a liability to him. Something that others could use to hurt him. He had to get rid of her in order to be strong.

"I do not doubt that. Right now the odds are bigger that he will try again if you're here. I he don't know where you are, you'll be safer. I don't know if it is me or you that he has something against. If you ain't by my side he can't get to me through you and if you are his target, you will be on your own. You can take care of it your self without needing to bother with anyone else."

"That makes sens." The words had been forced over her lips, but she didn't show it. Hiding the truth was something she was _very_ good at. Shaw was just an other one of those that had betrayed her. Even if she had expected him to do so eventually.

"Good, now I have a beach house in Florida that I'm planing to sell. If you were to by it under an other name, lets say Theresa Shade or something like that..."

____________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: Just so that you know, I'm not going to be home next week and there for there will be no update. I'm going on a ski trip that is going to be so much fun. Bring on your envy. BUT in order to make up for a update-less week I'm planing on giving you TWO chapters during week 11.

Pleas leave a review. Would make me so happy.


	9. Wagers

Wagers

The sun was shining brightly on a small town in Florida when the towns newest inhabitant known as Theresa Shade stopped her Harley Davidson on the driveway to her newly bought house. It's previous owner had never been there and the house had stood empty for some time. She had bought the house fully furnished.

The strange thing was that no one had known that the house was for sale until it had already been sold. At least it's new inhabitant would not get any strange looks because of her odd facial tattoos, the inhabitants had become use to all kinds of people, from punks to rich businessmen.

The woman looked up at her house. She sentiently didn't look like the kind of person that one would expect to live in a condo like the one she owned. It had a beige facade, two floors, a garage and a roofed porch on the backside with a fantastic view of the ocean and beach belove the slope. It was a place for a rich family living the American dream and not for some one like her.

Palm treas moved slowly in the breeze as Tessa entered the house.

~o~

Life in Florida was a pleasant one, but the fact that all days was so like the previous one and the next made it slightly boring. Everything followed the same pattern. Nothing changed, and if something happened everyone fell back in there old ways after just a few days. Most of the inhabitants were like sleepwalkers, walking around doing there chores with out really paying attention to anything.

~o~

Late one night, a few months after her arrival, Tessa was in the small biker bar. She often came there and observed while slowly sipping on a glass of red wine, something that got most to give her a strange glare.

This night she decided that she would need some entertainment. The bikers was constantly challenging etch other in pool. Up till then Tessa had simply looked an analyzed everyone's skills. One man was way better than the others and had won every game he'd played since her arrival. Would be time for him to lose one.

He was a very big bald man with tattoos covering his arms and a confident air about him. Tessa put down her glass on the counter before she walked over to him.

"I bet 300 dollars that I can beat you in pool."

The man looked down at Tessa in disbelief. For a second he hesitated, then he accepted.

"Your on. Consider that money lost."

"Oh, we will see about that."

~o~

Tessa stretched out her hand towards him, palm up. She had outclassed him, against her analytic ability he had been chance less.

"I believe that you ow me some money."

He grunted and slapped down the bills into her hand.

"Thank you." Tessa picked up her glass of red wine again and slid the money into her pocket. Once again he grunted displeased and so did the many in the crowd that had watched. There had been many bets going on between the onlookers and most had lost there money. Tessa was very aware of this and satisfied with herself. The odds was large that events would evolve to something interesting. A grin spread across her face.

~o~

_What a stiff woman. Drinking wine! Here! Does she think she's better than the rest of us?_

_Damn, I'm out of money._

_How the heck could I lose too someone like her?_

_She got a sweet ass._

_I hate this town, it's so dame perfect, life ain't supposed to be perfect._

_Perhaps I should by another drink._

_You're gonna pay for this honey, I want my money back..._

Tessa frowned. She wasn't using her telepathy, but why could she hear everyone's thoughts? She had never been able to scan so many minds at one time before and she had always been in control of it. Something like this had never happened to her. Closing her eyes Tessa focused on pulling her self inwards. The thoughts grew fewer, but didn't disappear. She concentrated harder and they where all gone.

She emptied her glass and started walking towards the exit. One of the bikers that had lost money said something to a few of the others, nodding against the door, then he followed. When he got out Tessa was leaning against her black and chrome bike.

"Honey, I think you ow me some money."

"I do not think so. We didn't have a wager."

"But you made me lose."

"Perhaps you learned a lesson. Do not underestimate women."

"I want my money." He grabbed Tessa's arm.

"You lost it. Deal with it."

"I'm gonna have it even if I would have to take it."

"You lowering yourself to robbery?"

"Why not. I bet we could have fun together."

"You should learn not to make bets."

"Well, ain't someone cocky."

"Yes, I have to agree that you are."

An other bike drove up to the bar and a man that didn't wore a helmet stepped of. He was short and stocky with big sideburns.

"I there a problem?" His voice had a Canadian accent.

"Go about your own business, don't stick yer neb were it doesn't belong." the biker snapped and tugged at Tessa's arm, trying to pull her farther into the shadows. For Tessa's vision he multiplied, becoming many different persons that all was different, but still the same.

"Hey, leave the lady alone."

"I can take care of my self." Tessa told the other man, sick of people thinking that she was weak and in need of help. She keeled the biker in his groin. He doubled over in pain and released her arm. It would have been easy to take him down with moves that was far flashier, but the simplest way was often just as effective.

"So what brings you here?" she asked the new arriver when she had walked over to him.

"Me and some others are looking for a Elias Bogan. Got a lead that took us here. You know anything 'bout him?"

Tessa stiffened. "I recently moved here so I don't know what connections he got to this town, but otherwise I do know a bit about him..."

"Please tell me, it would help a lot. We barely know anything about him."

Tessa's bright eyes meet his dark blue ones. "Why do you want to learn about Bogan. It is a sure bet to get you in trouble."

"One thing that we know is that he is evil."

"He _is_ a monster."

"What makes you think so?"

"Unfortunately we have had our encounters."

"Sounds like you know him."

"So you are one of Xavier's students. Wolverine, right?" Tessa said changing the subject.

"Um, yes. How would you know that?"

"There is very few things that I do not know."

"How can he be stopped?"

"That would be one of the things that I do not know, but if you intend to try I will try to help you."

"I cant help to wonder what your intentions to help us can be. What did he do to you?"

"You can keep wondering that."

"Okey, would you know somewhere we could crash for the night?"

"Come to my place. I am sure all of you can fit in there. I have more space than I need."

"Good. By the way, what's your name? You never told me what it was."

"I'm most commonly known as Tessa."

____________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: So I'm back from the ski trip and brings you the first of the two chapters I promised you before I left. Next one will be up on Thursday as usual. Big thanks to those of you who have reviewed. So glad that you like this story.


	10. My enemy's enemy

My enemy's enemy

The visit to the biker bar that Wolverine hadn't bothered to entered had turned out to be quite profitable. Not only had they found a place to rest over night, but also meet someone that knew something about Bogan.

For all the asking around that they had done, very few knew who it was and those that knew most often chose not to tell anything. They was to frightened.

Now here was a woman that knew lots about him, openly hated him and didn't seem to be scared at all. It all seemed to be to good to be true.

~o~

When the others came to the house that Wolverine had directed them to they were watchful, fearing a trap. Inside Logan sat on a couch talking to the woman, trying to get some more information out of her. When Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, saw who it was his chin virtually dropped to the floor.

"_Mon Diue_!"

"What is it Gambit?" Storm asked, a bit confused.

"Tessa, what de' 'ell 'appened t' you?"

"You two know each other? Gumbo explain yer self." Logan said looking from Tessa to Remy.

"I see the guilt threw you you out, Remy." Tessa told him coldly.

"T'is be a freaking trap! S'e w'it 'ellfire!"

"The Hellfire club? You know what they did to Jean?" Logan's adamantium claws extended from his knuckles.

Unmoved Tessa looked at them. "Not for the moment, but it might change depending on circumstances. And I do know what happened to Jean Gray."

"You're S'aw's personal assistant! Like 'eck you would get out of de club un'armed!"

"After my dust with Bogan I had became a liability, but I'm too valuable to get rid off."

"We need to know your history with Bogan if we're going to be able to trust you." Logan said, claws still pointed towards her.

"Fine. Bogan is Lord Imperial of the Hellfire club. The one that monitors everything the club does. Not many know of that position, and those that do know, well, most thinks that it is just a myth. There was a game of cards between Bogan's puppet Oliver Ryland and Shaw. If Shaw won he would get a fortune and if he lost, Emma Frost, the Withe Queen, would belong to Bogan. She would be one of his pets. I helped Shaw to win, there was only one catch. Bogan never loses. He honored their wager, but he knew I was the reason he lost. He kidnapped me and branded my face. He tried to make me one of his pets. He failed. Not even he could break through my mental protections. When he left to take care of some other 'business', as he called it, I was able to escape."

"Bogan took you and you was able to escape?" Rogue said in disbelief.

Tessa nodded. "Shaw thought that Bogan was trying to get to him through me, so for my own safety I was to hide. Apparently we should have been more careful when we picked an location, since you have been able to track Bogan here."

"I believe that she's telling the truth." Lucas Bishop was up to then one of the few members of the group that had remained silent.

"Ye think we can trust her?" Logan asked him.

Before Bishop could answer Tessa interrupted. "You should already know that you can not trust anyone."

"We must trust each other to be able to work as a team." Storm said stearnly.

For Tessa's vision Storm multiple in the same way the biker had. Some of her doubles looked like monster and others like angles.

"So, are you going to go after Bogan yourselves or accept my offer to join you in order to take Bogan down?" She ignored what she was seeing, the data would be analyzed later.

"You will have our trust for now." Storm told Tessa. "And for now we'll try to give you our trust."

~o~

Farthest away from Tessa stood Remy and Rogue. She looked up to him and whispered to him. "Ah still don't trust her."

"Dey gave us de benefit of doubt w'en we first joined. Dey trusted us, per'aps we s'ould try to do de same fer ot'ers."

"There's just something about her that doesn't fell right. Hey, swamp rat, how did ye know her?"

"De t'ieve's guilt 'as connections to de club. Ain't part ov it, but we get to go to t'eir gala. Met 'er there, chere."

Rogue tucked the withe strand of her hair behind her ear and squinted at Remy.

"There's so much Ah don't know 'bout ye."

"In time you will, _ma belle_."

"We know less 'bout her, an' that isn't reassuring."

"_Apprendre à vivre avec elle_. Learn to live w'it it."

~o~

"Fill me in on the details of your plan." Tessa and Storm sat in the living room early in the morning while the others slept.

"Well, there is this old mansion that we've found interesting. That is were we think that he is."

"Is it you or the x-men who thinks so?"

Storm looked startled at the question. It wasn't what she had expected. "Why do you ask?"

"You sounded doubtful about it."

"I assure you that it is what we all think."

"If you don't mind I would like to double check everything, just to be sure."

"Go ahead, but I don't think that you have time to get it all done before nightfall. You know that it is then that we intend to make our move."

"I think that I can make it."

Tessa reached out for a pare of shades with red lenses lying on the table.

The shades was a invention of hers, she had started working on them in the Omniverse. Unlike Shaw she still had memories of the place, from the moment they came to the moment she passed out with Roma's hands around her head.

Working on getting the shades done had been a pastime since she left her place under Shaw's wings. A few weeks earlier they had been done and fully functional, because these were no normal shades.

Before Tessa reached the shades they moved, flew into her hand. Behind a unreadable mask Tessa hid her shock. That wasn't supposed to happen.

"Your telekinetic." Ororo ascertained, pleased to winally know what the other woman's power was.

"No..." Tessa's voice drifted off. "I am not telekinetic."

"Then what was that? I didn't do anything with the winds to lift them."

Three words that Tessa hated to say was forced to pass he full lips. "I don't know."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Tessa continued.

"These isn't a normal pare of glasses. It is a pare of cybernetic-shades. They enables me to access every data network in the world, even it it isn't connected to the Internet. With them I can tap in anywhere. They can show holographic images and collect data. And that is just the the beginning of what they can achieve."

~o~

What worried Tessa the most about going up against Bogan, was the fact that her control had slipped, not only once, but many times. Not even when her powers manifested had she not been able to have full control.

Something wasn't right and when dealing with Bogan she could not allow herself to have powers flaring out every now and then. She wasn't sure that it was her powers, over those she had always had a iron grip, but thees powers she had trouble grasping no mater how hard she tried.

____________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: Once again I has to apologize about writing accents. They always turn out terrible. For a reminder: I have replaced the H:es in Remy's speech with ' because French people don't pronounce h. _Mon Diue_ means My God and _Apprendre à vivre avec elle_ means more correctly learning to live with it. At least according to Google Translate. If it's wrong don't blame me, I'm not good at French. But I think that you are very good at leaving reviews, _so do it_. I'm going to be so happy if you do.


	11. The Beast's Den

The Beast's Den

About one hour after sunset they arrived at the mansion. In the dark night it looked spooky and abandoned. Located on a cliff it had a amazing view of the ocean far below where the waves beat against the stone.

There was a tension in the air, something big would go down at this very place this night. The building was the right kind of house to have at such a location. It's roughness, the stones it was built in, the windows, the layout, everything was right except one little detail. The person that had this place as one of his strongholds. It was a place that suited him, but his time had passed.

Chin high Tessa watched the building. Her face was blank, showing no emotion, but she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't defeat Bogan.

The others had but a vague idea of what they was up against. They had only tracked the predator, not faced him. Odds were that the mistakes he had done was made deliberately in order to get Tessa away from Shaw and Hellfire. Still it was just speculations and not facts. What she needed was facts.

~o~

"Tessa and Bishop will search the third floor and the attic. Rogue and Gambit, take the first and second floor. Wolverine and I will take basement." Storm declared. Everyone nodded in agreement. Turning to Tessa she continued. "You will need a codename."

"Sage."

"Then that is it. Thank you Sage for joining us on this, I think that we will need your help to manage this."

"Remember to tell Xavier that. The look on his face would be priceless. Maybe you could take a photo."

Storm raised her eyebrows at Tessa wondering if she was out to get some kind of advantages with the professor.

"Perhaps you could join us instead. Tell him yourself."

"Join the x-men? Be a superhero and save the world time after time and still be hated by the public? Do not think so."

Storm shrugged. "It was just one suggestion." To everyone she said. "Time to move out. If you even just sens something suspicious notify the others directly, no matter how non important it may seem."

~o~

The inside didn't look like it had changed ever since it had been built. There was not one single bit of dust on anything and all the furniture seemed new. They was reflected by the polished floors and there was no sound in there but their steps.

It simply was creepy.

The air was cold, far colder than air should be at any time in Florida. Smoke stemmed from their breath. One would half expect everything to be covered in frost.

"Storm, are you doing this?" whispered Wolverine trying to keep his voice down, but his words echoed in the big hall.

"Certainly not."

"Creepy. Spread out. The faster we are done with this the happier I will be."

"I agree." Storm told him. They walked towards the basement stair that was located a few rooms away. Thankfully Sage had been able to find the blueprints, so they knew the path they were going to take. But knowing one thing on paper and doing it in real life was two different things.

Rogue and Gambit systematically started going through all rooms, not really believing that they would find anything.

Sage and Bishop made their way up the stairs. The higher they came the colder it became. On the third floor they found various sitting rooms as well as the inner circles meeting room, but no signs of life or Bogan.

"We go through all the rooms that were on the blueprint before we start looking for secret passages. If there is any of them it is assured to be one entry here." Sage told Bishop when they stepped in to the meeting room.

When they were climbing the narrow stair to the attic Wolverine's voice crackled over the com-link.

"We've found some nasty stuff down here. You've had any success?"

"_Non_." Gambit replied from the second floor.

"The meeting room is on the third floor. Good place to start looking for hidden passages." Bishop said into the communicator.

"_Bon_, w'en we're done 'ere we'll take a look. Ye got t'ings covered down t'ere Wolverine?"

"Sure, Gumbo."

~o~

In the basement Wolverine clicked off the communicator. and looked at Storm. They were in a stone cellar. Shackles hung from the wall and torture devices lay shattered over the bloodstained room.

"Ye okey?

"Yes, I am just a bit shaken up. How can anyone be this cruel?"

"Don' know. Some are that way." He walked up to her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Storm's withe hair fell over her down turned face from him. Her dark hand trembled slightly as she brought it up to brush it away.

"I want this monster defeated. Tes... Sage, was right, saying that he is a monster. But there is one thing to know it and one thing to actually see it."

Yeah. And that woman is right about most things even if she may be a little bit creepy." The last remark he said made Storm grin.

"O, how adorable."

The unexpected voice made both spin around. Behind them Oliver Ryland leaned against the stained wall.

Eminently Wolverine's claws emerged with a snikt. Storm started creating thunder clouds inside the room, forgetting what she had instructed the others to do if they found anything.

Seeing them Bogan chuckled.

"You really think that you can harm me?"

"Oh yes, and if we can't, we will at least try." growled Wolverine right before he threw himself at the other man.

"Pathetic." Bogan told him as he stepped out of Wolverine's path.

His momentum was so large that he didn't have time to stop before hi hit the stone wall that Bogan had leaned against. The impact didn't knock him out, after all he had a healing factor and adamantium implants on his skeleton.

Once again Wolverine turned on Bogan, who avoided being struck by a lightning bolt. Hurricane strong winds blew up and pinned him against the closest wall. Storm were living up to her code name, she truly was a force of nature and not only Ororo Monroe.

Wolverine walked up to Bogan, who struggle to even move in the hard wind. When he reached Bogan, the man looked way to pleased with himself, even though he was stuck to the wall.

"So you think you've got me. Let me tell you this, you are wrong."The words should have been drowned in the howl of the wind, but both Wolverine and Storm could hear him and the cruel voice magnified in the cellar until they couldn't hear anything else. Slowly his eyes turned red and they shone brightly in the cellars dusk.

~o~

"This is hopeless. We ain't never going to find anything in here." Rogue told Gambit. She was seated in one of the chairs around the table, looking miserable. "Ah wanna do something, anything. We should go to Storm and Wolverine. At least they got something, we ain't got nothing."

"Be patient _chere_. I t'ink we've got somet'ing." Gambit was fingering on a model head with a golden mask. It's facial features was smooth, making it look like a mannequin.

"What ye gonna do, swamp rat? Steel it's mask?"

"_Non_. Just because _tu_ don't want to know, _je_ ain't gonna tell."

"Come on, don't be such an ass. Tell meh." The last sentence was clearly a order.

"Nop, I'm not telling you. But..."

"What? Stop dancing around it."

"_Je_ can show you." Gambit placed his hand on the forehead of the mask and pushed. The head slid back about three centimeters and the wall beside it slid back, reviling a opening. Rogue jumped to her feet quickly, slightly startled by the unexpected event.

"That's fantastic! Ye found it!"

"_Oui_. Appears t'at way. Anyt'ing to save a lovely _mademoiselle_ from boredom."

"For your information, Ah was never in need of saving and Ah never will be."

Gambit smiled devilish, his red on black eyes the essence of mischief.

"_Bon_." He bowed as if he were a gentleman, his hand towards the opening. "Ladies first."

As she passed him she grumbled. "Swamp rat."

Gambit heard her remark and his smirk grew wider.

~o~

The attic was a rater large room that had one big window overlooking the sea far below. The area in front of the window was cleared from debris and on a oriental rug stood two armchairs overlooking the view. On the end table placed between chairs stood a wine glass half full of deep red wine. Beside it lay a necklace, a beautiful creation with a silver chain and a ruby drop.

The closer they got to the window the colder it got. If was from there the cold generated and the air spread over the house like the winds of cold air falling down from glaciers. The window was covered with frost roses and there was frost on everything in the room.

When they got even closer they could tell that the wine had frozen to ice. The chain of the necklace almost disappeared under the frost, but through it's faint cover the ruby's color glittered.

"Well I think we've got something." Bishop told Sage. "I'll contact the others."

He pushed a button on the communicator. "We have found the location from where the cold generates."

The only reply he got was static.

"Do you read?" Still no answer. "Storm? Wolverine? Gambit? Rogue? Anyone? come in."

More static.

"If you read pleas reply." Still there was only the static. Turning to Sage he told her. "I'm not getting any response. Could something be jamming the radio contact?"

Sage reached into one of the pockets of her black trench coat and brought out her shades. Gently she placed them on her nose.

"No. The contact is fully functional and so is all the communicators. If they doesn't reply it is because they are unable to."

"Great. If they have been taken out, we're next."

"I would have to agree with you on that point."

"We have to find them. They need our help."

"If I know Bogan as well as I think I does, some of them might already past the point of help."

"We can't think like that."

"Still it is a fact whether you like it or not." Even if Bishop was a large black man with a quarterback built, the smaller woman was the one who had taken control.

"Do you have a heart or is it made of ice?" Was the only reply he managed to give her.

"I do not let emotions get the better of reason." Sage's voice was as cold as the room they were in.

"We are going to find them even if we have to seek through this entire building or more."

"We could be walking into a trap, but this room could be a trap as well. It doesn't matter when the hunter has found his pray. We shall try to find them. Perhaps some can be saved."

Bishop started walking towards the stair, but before Sage followed she grabbed the necklace from the table. The cold crystal burned against the bare skin of her palm.

____________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: So things are heating up right now, or should I say getting colder? Well, there will be some action coming up, and then this story will be over. Kind of sad that we are so close to the end, although we still have some chapters left.

I would also like to thank Sage1988 for reviewing. Thank you so much.

Please leave your review, so I know if you have liked it this far.


	12. Into the Dark

Into the Dark

Bogan sat in the high seat of the meeting room, his feet was casually rested on the table. He was waiting. Those other he had caught would be amusing to break to his will, but right now he was waiting for his dear Tessa.

While waiting for her he had taken control of one, her powers would be useful to take out the last member of the team, leaving Tessa to him.

t was only a matter of time before she would be under his control, and time was one of the things he had most of. Centuries had given him the patient to wait for the right opportunity.

In the shadows stood the girl with the withe streak in her hair. The darkness hid the black tears running down her cheeks. It had been impressive how good she had managed to fight him, but of course she had lost eventually.

When he had begun to break her she had snapped at him that it wouldn't work, no telepath could get into her mind. That had almost made him laugh. It was pleasing to see the fear in her eyes when he whispered to her in a velvet smooth voice: "But I am no telepath."

At first the mess her mind was had confused him, but he saw it as a challenge that he would win. Her powers was well worth the effort. The ability to absorb others powers ans memories through mere skin contact would be useful.

~o~

"So, how do you plan to find them?" asked Sage.

"Not really sure, but we have to start somewhere."

Tessa felt a slipping sensation inside her mind and yet an other time her telepathy flared out. With in the millisecond she grasped for it, but it slipped through her mental fingers and continued to spread through the building.

She felt where everyone was. Their thoughts were blocked for her but from some she felt strong emotions, anger, fear. Rogue's normally shattered signature was barely there, smothered under Bogan's.

Tessa calculated everyone's location and merged where their signatures came from with a three dimensional image of the mansion. Sage took a hold of Bishop's wrist with one hand.

"Bogan and Rogue are in the meeting room. She is under his control."

"And how would you know that?" Bishop asked her slightly hostile.

"I am a telepath."

"So you just forgot to mention that."

"I never forget anything. I just neglected to tell you."

"Like that is any better. You ain't going to win anyone's trust like this."

Sage shrugged. "Deal with Bogan first or get the others now?"

Bishop meet Sage's hard eyes. "Bogan." She smiled sourly at him and nodded her approval.

"Time to bring him down." Sage slipped the necklace into a pocket and took a firmer grip on her gun. This was it.

~o~

When they closed in on the room Sage had managed to pull the telepathy back, but still she wasn't surprised that Rogue stepped out and blocked their path, it had been the most likely scenario. As expected black tears ran down her cheeks, in the faint light it almost looked like blood. She didn't wear any gloves.

Sage and Bishop traded looks and made a silent deal. He would try to hold Rogue, or at least keep her occupied, whilst Sage went after Bogan. That battle was hers alone.

Rogue launched herself at them, aimed at Bishop. He avoided her easily and Sage slipped away, into the meeting room.

Again Rogue attacked, trying to get skin contact. Her fighting wasn't as good as it usually were. Her movements a bit clumsy and forced, like her body didn't want to do what it was told.

A gun went of. An other shot followed. Bishop ducked under a high kick and he glanced towards the meeting room. He blocked Rogue's arm, the bare hand had almost touched his skin.

"Rogue! Fight it!"

When he fought he had to hold back, so that he didn't hurt her. To him it was obvious that she was trying to get Bogan out of her head. Knowing Rogue, he knew that she was strong and he hoped that she could beat their enemy to regain control of her own body.

"The Rogue you know is lost." answered Rogue's mouth, but it was not her that spoke. She charged at him again. This time he avoider her hands and grabbed her wrists, holding her.

"I know that Rogue is in there, somewhere, trying to get out." Bishop hissed to her.

"You are wrong." She kicked him in the stomach. The force of th kick made him stumble back half a step. His grip loosened slightly, but it was all Bogan's pet needed to get free.

She punched at his face and was mere millimeters from hitting. In the very last second Bishop had bended his head backwards, but he leaned back to much and fell. A sinister smile spread across Rogue's face as she closed in. A third shot came from the meeting room.

"Say goodnight."

"Rogue, don't."

Her fingers hovered a bit over his forehead. If he moved the hand would be pushed down faster than a cobra strikes it's pray. Her fingers shook.

"No..." escaped Rogue's mouth.

Her fingertips moved closer and closer to his dark skin.

"No." she said again, stronger this time. The hand shook even more and the shakes spread through her entire body.

"I won't do it."

Rogue collapsed in a heap, hands clasping her head.

"GET OUT OF MHA HEAD!" she screamed. The dark tears faded and instead real tears streamed down.

"Rogue? Rogue, are you alright?" Bishop slowly sat up.

"No. Ah'm not alright. He was in ma head. It was like one of the psyches was controlling me, but he was stronger. Way stronger. It was if he was me and Ah was a psyche."

"Bogan is gone now. He ain't in your mind anymore."

"Ah don't want that to happen ever again."

"When we are rid of Bogan it won't."

Rogue wiped away the tears and nodded. It was first then that she noticed that Bishop was alone.

"Sage? Wasn't she supposed to be with ye?"

"She was. While I fought you she went after Bogan."

"We gotta help her. She is in way over her head."

Carefully Rogue tried to stand. She could, but barely. Her entire body was still shaking. Taking as step towards the door she wobbled. At last she found her balance. As she walked she had one hand against the wall for support. Bishop hadn't offered to support her because he knew that she wouldn't have accepted it. Her determination and pride would have gotten in the way.

Rogue was the first to enter, but Bishop wasn't far behind her. Rogue's emerald eyes took in the room. The only thing that had changed since she and Gambit had searched it was the two marks of bullets on the far wall, the third mark on the wall to the left and Tessa's gun laying on the floor.

"Gone. We're to late."

"I guess that Tessa is on her own again."

Rogue bit her lip. "Let's get the others. We can only hope that she can beat him. We has to trust her ability to take care of herself. Ah hate when there is nothing Ah can do."

"I know the feeling."

Rogue opened the secret passage slipped in.

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Author's Note: And here is chapter thirteen, hope you enjoyed it. Please Review!


	13. Predators

Predators

"Hello, my dear Tessa." Bogan stood up from the throne like chair and took a few steps closer to her.

"How many times must I tell you not to call me that?" Tessa raised her gun and aimed.

"It doesn't matter how many times you say that, my dear Tessa. I won't stop." he taunted.

"When you are dead you will stop." She pulled the trigger. Two shots one through the heart and one through the head. The bullets passed right trough him and into the wall without hurting him. Bogan started laughing.

"My dear Tessa, do you really think you can kill _me_?"

"I can try and I will continue to try until you are dead. Eventually everyone must die. I will make it my business to be the one who takes your life."

Bogan walked around the table and came closer and closer. He had a frown between his brows and his head was slightly tilted to one side.

"Strange. I can't sens any fear, only anger."

"I am not afraid of you."

"But you should be... My dear Tessa." He stretched out one hand as if to stroke her cheek. She pulled the trigger again. Yet again the shot went trough him and he grinned at her. He lowered his hand and to a grip on the gun.

"You won't need that. It won't do you any good." He ripped it from her hand and dropped it to the floor. She threw a blow against his head. The strike didn't hit, Bogan had grabbed her arm, holding it in a firm grip. He was shaking his head.

"Tessa, Tessa. When are you going to learn that it is hopeless to fight me?"

Tessa tore her arm free and kicked his torso.

"Never."

The kick had hit but Bogan stood unmoved by it's force. He chuckled slightly.

"That will do nothing but tire you."

"We will see about that."

Tessa attacked him with a series of kicks and blows. If it had been a normal person she had been fighting her would have been knocked out. Bogan only yawned.

"Really dear. This is getting boring."

He stuck a hand through the back of Tessa's head, fingers coming out of her forehead. She stopped fighting and went limb, her wide open eyes staring at the bits of his fingers that she could see. With his other hand he stroked one of the marks he had left softly.

"Are you afraid now?" He whispered to her, lips very close to her ear. "You fear to be helpless, to be weak. Not knowing. No clue of what is going to happen. Not being able to calculate the most likely scenario. How does it feel? To be afraid."

When things cleared for Tessa again she had a headache. She was laying on the floor in a rather small cell as far as she could tell. The only light source was a torch on the wall above her. The flickering flame lit up a half circle and outside it lurked darkness. Red eyes shone among the shadows. Tessa sat up without looking away from the eyes.

"So you hide in the darkness like a monster from stories meant to scare children. Are you afraid of shoving you face in the light?"

"No. But it is rater effective way of scaring people." Bogan walked into the illuminated area.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Keep telling yourself that, my dear Tessa, but I saw it in your eyes. You are good at hiding it, but it was there. You can deny it all you want, but it was there and you know it as well as I do."

"I will kill you."

"Have you ever noticed how like me you are. Your determination, you get what you you want. You are strong, never bends. Shaw might have thought that you only helped him, that he made the decisions, but you controlled him all along and he never saw it. You collects knowledge, stores it and puts it to use. You do what you have to. You are ruthless. Hard. Like me. A hunter. A predator, just like me."

"I am nothing like you."

"But you are, my dear. That is why you will make a perfect pet or even a host for me."

"You have yet to break me. You have tried for years and failed. You can't get into my mind."

"Your control has been slipping lately, hasn't it?"

Tessa stiffened. Bogan noticed it and a crocked smile spread across his face. He continued to hold Tessa's eyes with his. Sitting below him at the stone floor she looked almost as a broken doll.

"Before I couldn't sense you. You could be in a room and I saw that you was there, but I didn't feel your mental signature. Your mind was so well shielded that it was as if it wasn't there. Now I can feel your presence. It is so vibrant, so strong and clear. So delicious."

Before her eyes Bogan doubled, tripled, multiplied. All different, but the same. Past, future, present and parallel. Every single Bogan, in every form he ever had. His true form, other forms, her form, all with glowing red eyes.

"No, no." whispered Tessa, pulling up her knees and hugging them.

Bogan crunched down, his face at the same level as hers.

"What do you see?" he asked curiously, looking at Tessa's unseeing wide open eyes. They focused at him when he spoke.

"You." The answer was so low that he barely could hear it. Yet it made him pleased. It was so very satisfying. His mouth turned into a evil grin, making his face to a cruel mask.

"Let's make you the perfect pet." Bogan reached his hands towards Tessa's head again. His eyes shone brighter. She backed away from him, trying to get away. Looking at her there was almost pity in his eyes.

"Did I break you so easily? That's almost boring." To Tessa's shock his voice was kind and she found that even more frightening than his utterly evil eyes.

~o~

Tessa turned inwards, dived into the core of herself, trying to get away. Occupied herthoughts with trivial things. Focused on the fuzzy, unclear memories from the time before her powers manifested. She went deeper down, chasing the shadow of something.

At first Tessa didn't know what she was following, but the closer she got the more it became obvious what it was. In front of her was Roma, or at least a it was her essence.

"_I'm sorry."_ Roma's voice was the whisper of a ghost. _"I thought that you could handle my knowledge. That you could be a vessel for my power. I didn't anticipate that what I gave you wouldn't mold with what you had, that it would push me away."_

"_But I have your powers."_ Tessa's mental voice echoed inside the darkness of the outskirts of her mind. _"I am just having some trouble controlling them."_

Roma's lips trembled slightly when she smiled. _"I can see how they slowly are becoming a part of you."_ Her smile faded away. _"Still my memories aren't among yours. I don't want my knowledge to be lost, but when I passed on my legacy to you I didn't think that you would react the way you did."_

"_You mean that I fell into a coma."_

Slowly Roma nodded. _"I really thought that you would be able to handle it. I was wrong, your mind overloaded."_

"_Because I was also processing the memories from my parallel selves. It is likely that my body could not take in any more impressions before it was finished with those it worked on."_

Tilting her head to the side Roma answered. _"Possible."_

Tessa stretched her hand towards Roma. _"Take my hand."_

Hesitantly Roma placed her slightly transparent hand in the lifelike one. Sparks of blue electricity formed around Tessa's eyes. Roma's shape blended with Tessa's form and they became one.

~o~

"I am not broken." The words and her voice was strong, full of hate. The determination spread to Tessa's face, then to the rest of her body. She rose to her feet, facing Bogan. His grin became wider.

"Now that's my girl."

"I am _not_ yours. I am not anyones. I am only my owns."

"My dear Tessa..."

A muscle twitched in her face.

"I have had it with you."

Tessa took out the necklace from one pocket. Cold still flooded from it, but she didn't notice. In the flames light the ruby looked like a large drop of blood. It hung from a silver chain that was intertwined with Tessa's fingers.

"You don't have a body anymore. You posses people to remain among the living. You are _dead_. And yet you are clinging to this reality. You placed your essence in a number of objects to give you eternal life. That's what killed you. Wonder what would happen if one of these objects was destroyed?"

"No..." Now it was Bogan's voice that was no more than a whisper. He couldn't take his eyes away from the ruby and followed every small movement it did with his eyes.

"It would weaken you. Make your powers less. Take away a part of your life. Perhaps bind you the the body you inhabit for the moment. Oliver Ryland, how long since you completely expelled his consciousness from his body? You have used it for quite some time. Time to change, or _not_."

"You can't destroy me!" He bared his teethe like a wolf.

Tessa's words were cold and controlled. She kept her icy calm. "If all was destroyed, so would you be. I will start with this one."

She pulled out one of her hidden weapons and smiled slightly when she saw a shadow of shock on Bogan's face.

"Did you think that I would be so foolish that I would go after you and only bring one gun?" Before he had a chance to answer Tessa shot.

The sound magnified in the small chamber, echoing back and forth between the walls. Fragments of the ruby blasted away in every direction, leaving shallow wounds on both Tessa and Bogan. Through the remaining thunder from the shot was the chime of crystal falling against a hard floor, hitting stone walls and the ceiling.

A black tar like liquid that had been cocooned by the ruby shell didn't shatter with it. It fell to the floor oozing out to fill dents in it or follow the uneven stones, running out over part of the room. Bogan looked like he had been punched. He radiated fear.

"So, how does it feel to be afraid. Experiencing something new wont hurt you. Or maybe it will. It is about time you lost. I think that it is time that you went to the place where you and your likes belong. Hell."

Reality wrapped around them. Turning, twisting, moving, enclosing them.

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Author's Note: This was one of my favorite chapters to write, it was so much fun coming up with all of this. Did you like it. Push the Review button and tell me what you thought. It's always fun to get feedback.


	14. Hell has no Fury

Hell has no Fury

They was on a plain of ice. It stretched out as far as they could tell. The stars casted their faint light on the snow. In the sky the northern lights sparkled vividly. Most was green, but parts was blue, orange and pink. The cold was numbing, but the air was high and clear. Under their feet the snow squeaked.

"Welcome to your very own hell. As you can see it is frozen over." In the silence Tessa's voice sounded misplaced. It was a place where nature dominated and only wildness had been.

"Is this the real hell?" Bogan asked, not believing it. According to him neither heaven or hell was existed.

"No. It is a frozen world, but to you it will be. You will never get out of here. I will destroy everything that contains even the smallest bit of your essence and then you will finally die."

Tessa was holding her chin high, standing strait and to Bogan she looked like a queen who was as merciless as ice. He saw the frost that had formed on her dark bangs, her delicate jawline and strong chin, her hard mouth, sharp nose, his marks and her beautiful eyes that had seen so much. Her image was imprinted in his mind and it would stay there forever.

He haded her and the hate burned in his eyes. He hated her entire being, her existence, that she was the pray that escaped his claws. He loved her and would do anything to bring her under his control, to make her his, to kill her. That hate and love was so close connected.

She was gone. He hadn't even noticed when she had disappeared.

"My dear Tessa." he whispered at the empty air where her face had been. "I WILL KILL YOU!"

~o~

Once again Tessa was in the Omniverse. She was in the great chamber were Merlyn overlooked the infinite number of worlds. The roof was a doom of glass, showing the stars above.

Although the stars was not actual stars. They were representations for each and every universe. Now Tessa could see all the stars, not only the ones closest yo her home world. There was so many that the sky seamed to be made of light. Merlyn himself was there, his eyebrows raised due to her unexpected appearance.

"How did you get here?" he asked, a suspicious look on his face. Tessa ignored his question and walked up to him. He was taller, but it seamed as if she towered above him.

"You killed Roma, your own daughter."

"Say how did you come across that tidbit of information?"

"I know many things."

"Then you probably know that she was becoming a liability. And there is nothing you can do for her now. She _is_ dead."

"The dead can be avenged."

"Since when did you become the champion for good and justice? The last time I checked you wasn't an angel."

Tessa grabbed his neck with one hand. His breathing became strained.

"Odds are that I never will be a angel. This is what Roma wanted. Revenge. Did you know that she transfered her consciousness to me? Her knowledge, powers, memories, emotions. Everything."

Tessa squeezed harder and Merlyn gasped. The air became tense as he collected energy, both from stores inside himself and from the surrounding. It discharged in a flash of light, throwing Tessa away. She landed hard and pain surged up her shoulder. She bit together her teeth hard and stood.

"So out of your vast number of powers you used that one. To bad for you that you need time to build up enough energy to throw an other charge."

"What tells you that it is the only power I'm using?" the voice came from behind her and the place where he had stood earlier was empty.

"Nothing." she said as she turned around slowly. There he was. Or rather a illusion of him was. It looked exactly like him, but to her vision it was slightly transparent. The ability to see through illusions was from the beginning her own, and the merge with Roma had enhanced it. There was no way a illusion could fool her now.

A sword laying on the floor next to a throne like chair caught her attention. The same sword he had used to kill Roma. With the telekinesis that had been part of her powers Tessa lifted the sword and sent it flying towards Merlyn, his outline clear to her.

The illusion evaporated and with his own telekinesis he stopped it midair. It shivered, stuck between the two powers trying to move it in opposite directions from each other.

"To bad that you already used your discharge." Tessa told him before releasing her own blast. It's power sent Merlyn flying into the wall, just like a child would throw away a rag doll when having a tantrum.

Something cracked when he slammed into the glass. Somehow Tessa doubted that the glass ever would break. Merlyn didn't fall and neither did the sword. Tessa was holding both up with Roma's telekinesis. As she moved closer to Merlyn the sword did the same, staying in the middle between them.

"You can't kill me."

"Funny you should say that. You are the second to state the same thing today."

"I am immortal, eternal. I will never disappear."

Tessa shrugged. "Perhaps so. But it is time for you to turn to dust."

"I will be resurrected."

"Maybe you will be eventually. Although not son."

She raised her hand and made a motion towards Merlyn.

"You will regret this."

The sword swooshed forward and reality bended. There was a clatter when the sword struck the glass and fell to the floor. Merlyn was gone.

~o~

Tessa waled through the empty halls of the Crystal Palace. She had memories of every room. Few was her own, but she had the others as well, they were part of her. She knew how to run the universes, one of the few with that kind of knowledge.

For the most part it spun on by itself, but at times the balance was disturbed and then she was to bring it back to normal. Sometimes it would be she that disturbed the fragile balance. She truly had the fate of the world resting on her. It was her responsibility.

She would to stay and become a all knowing Sage overlooking _everything_. A position so many would kill for, and she that hadn't even strived for it was the one to get it. Fate was a funny thing, not that it existed.

The End

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Author's Note: And that's it. The final chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you want more you should know that I'm considering writing either a sequel or a prelude or both, but we'll see if that ever happens. For now, Thanks for reading.


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